I'm But a Stranger Here Heaven is My Home
by vanillafluffy
Summary: Castiel returns to Heaven and finds his Father giving orders. That's not all he finds. Spoilers for 5.22, 'Swan Song'.


The Hallowed Halls bear scorch marks from Holy Fire. Lingering in the air is a strong, sweetish odor. Now that he has a frame of reference, Castiel thinks it smells like someone torched a cotton candy machine.

There are repair details at work in the corridors of Heaven, but they're oddly silent. Castiel is aware of glances being directed his way as he makes his way to the Throne Room, but no one says anything. There are no greetings or friendly smiles, no polite nods of acknowledgement.

After his bold words to Dean about taking charge here, he'd expected more disorder. At the time, his awareness of his fellow angels' communications had reflected dissention and agitation...somehow, in the brief interval between that conversation and his arrival in Heaven, the friction has been dialed down substantially and the mood is chastened.

The Throne Room is a magnificent space with ornate columns supporting the vaulted ceiling high above. Just entering the vast, gracious room gives a lift to Castiel's spirit. It's good to be home.

He makes his way toward the small group at the far end of the room. As he draws closer, he recognizes Joshua, Raguel and Elias. They're listening attentively to-Castiel hasn't seen Him before, but His commanding presence fills the room. Cas's heart beats faster.

"-want you to go full-angel on that Nazi prick, and tell him if he doesn't get a grip on his underlings, he's gonna have a really hot Hereafter."

Elias looks terrified, "But sir! The Pope-?"

"Needs to give more than lip-service to what's right. I've got a news flash for you-molesting children isn't right. Give him the message, and stick around as long as you need to make sure it sinks in."

"I don't think-I never-"

"Are you questioning My orders?" the resonant voice thunders.

"No sir! I'm on it, sir!" Elias flashes past, an expression of panic on his face.

The stranger makes eye contact with Castiel, and nods fractionally. It's amazing how good that slight acknowledgement makes him feel. He's always felt his Father's love in the abstract, but being in the same room as Him is like being a grounding rod for lightning. His skin tingles.

He waits quietly while Joshua and Raguel are given their orders, studying the King of Heaven. The form he projects is tall-not as tall as Sam Winchester, Cas thinks sadly, but rugged and with more confidence than any Winchester of his acquaintance. But does He have as much courage as they do? His long absence suggests otherwise.

"Joshua, I have a new mission for you. This is right up your alley."

"Thank You, sir." Joshua sounds wary.

"In keeping with your love for unspoiled nature, I want you to go take care of that oil spill in the Gulf. I want it stopped, I want every speck of it cleaned up. What?"

"With no explanation?"

"If humanity can handle all the crazy shit surrounding an apocalypse without batting an eye, they can handle this." There's a note of irony in Father's voice. "Any questions?"

"Well, sir, the Garden..."

"Raguel, you've got his job."

"Me, sir? Thank You!" Raguel is wide-eyed. His robes are disheveled and torn and Cas catches a whiff of brimstone.

"Your garden is in good hands. Any other questions?"

"No, sir. No questions." Resigned, Joshua lifts his hands in surrender. "One miracle, coming right up." He vanishes.

"Thank you for your service today, Raguel. You have done well. Take up your new post with a clear heart." The angel winks at Cas and leaves with a broad smile.

Dark eyes seek him out. "Castiel-!" To his amazement, Castiel finds his hand being shaken in a firm, two-handed grip. "I owe you My deepest thanks. None of My angels has done more, given more than you have."

He wants to protest. So many of his brothers and sisters have perished during the course of this awful war. Conflicted, he says only, "Thank you, sir."

"I know it wasn't easy for you, but you succeeded beyond My highest hopes. There are some big vacancies to be filled here. I'm looking to you for one of them."

Cas tries to marshal his thoughts. The past twenty months have been grueling, but he's pretty sure 'vacation' isn't considered an angelic benefit. If it is, it's probably something like a weekend in the Garden, which isn't going to have tequila shooters or umbrella-bedecked cocktails. And even if it did, there isn't anyone he wants to hang out with...unless he can invite Ellen Harvelle in for drinks.

"I can see that you're not thrilled by the idea. Well? Say something! Yes, no, kiss my ass...?"

"I want to see what happens if you say 'Kiss my ass'," chuckles a vaguely familiar voice belonging to the person occupying the Throne. This irreverence merits a Look, and his Father shifts enough that Castiel can see the slender figure dangling a leg over the arm of the massive chair.

It's Adam Milligan, and shock gets a more spontaneous reaction from Cas than he would have given otherwise. "What's he doing here? You're supposed to be in the Pit, Michael!"

"Hey, don't look at me," Adam says, sounding more like Dean than he has any right to. "I'm just hanging out, waiting for my mom to get through with her book club. Pretty strange version of Heaven, if you ask me."

The monstrous unfairness of it scores him like a brand. He's spent too much time with the Winchesters, too much time operating on his own judgment. "You can't do this, it's not right!" he erupts. "You can't spare him and not spare Sam Winchester! If it wasn't for Sam, there would be Hell on Earth right now and we'd have demons on our doorstep! I'll go get him myself -he's not the first Winchester I've had to drag from the Pit-and You can kiss my ass!"

Adam applauds, and the only thing that stops him from decking the young fool is his Father, Who bursts out laughing.

"Already taken care of, Castiel-or did you not notice your brother Raguel was looking a little untidy, even for him? Michael and Lucifer no longer needed their vessels in Hell," explains the Commander of All, "and their redemption was My first order. They were given a choice, return to Earth or be admitted to Heaven."

"Sam wanted to go back to Earth," Adam chimes in helpfully. "Talk about a glutton for punishment! Oh well, free will and all that jazz...we dropped him off on the way here."

Shit, the angel winces. Now he's in for it. If he's lucky, he'll be banished to Limbo for a few centuries.

"Your mom is available now, Adam," The youngest Winchester stands up and stretches. The Almighty rests a hand on his shoulder for a moment, then with a wave, Adam departs by a nearby passageway.

There is echoing silence in the Throne Room for what feels suspiciously like eternity.

"I apologize for my disrespect," Castiel says, trying to maintain his dignity and not panic. "And for my lack of Faith in Your-Your-" He stops. After the events he's been through, he's hard-pressed to finish the sentence. The traditional virtues ascribed to God are goodness and mercy, and if Cas is going to be honest, his Faith is still precarious. "I don't understand. I know I'm not meant to understand Your motives, but..."

"As above, so below. What happens here is reflected on Earth, and vice versa. When I created all this, it was much simpler. When humans have offspring, they're easy to care for as babies. When they grow older, the conflicts start and life gets more complicated. In many ways, the human race has reached a messy adolescence. I elected to walk among them and try to learn from them. I'm sorry that My Garrisons here were less mature during My absence than I expected."

The fact that he's been given a patient, civilized answer after his impudence makes Cas cringe. "I'm very sorry, sir."

His Father smiles again. "Don't apologize," He advises. "You've passed My test-you stood on the side of humanity, not because I ordered you to, but because you came to believe it was the right thing to do. That's why you're going to be the Highest of the Host."

Castiel exhales a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thank You, sir. I'm honored."

"Enough with the 'sir'. Since we're going to be working closely together, you can call me John."

The End.


End file.
